Federal Inmate to Serve 11 Additional Years in Federal Prison for Possession of and Assault With a "Shank"

OKLAHOMA CITY – BRYAN JOSHUA TEWANEMA, 32, of Arizona, has been sentenced to serve 132 months in federal prison for possessing a prohibited object at the Federal Transfer Center (FTC) in Oklahoma City and for assault with a dangerous weapon and possessing a prohibited object at the Grady County Jail, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.

“This case demonstrates that the danger posed to corrections staff and inmates does not evaporate simply because they are behind bars,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. “We appreciate the important work performed by corrections officers every day, and our office will continue to hold inmates accountable if they assault or present a danger to corrections staff or other inmates.”

According to public record, on May 29, 2024, corrections officers with the FTC discovered a sharpened piece of plexiglass, a “shank,” hidden in Tewanema’s pant leg. Evidence at trial indicated that this incident was the fourth time a “shank” had been located either on Tewanema’s person or in a cell assigned to him. At the time, Tewanema was in federal custody as part of a 355-month prison sentence for second-degree murder and use of a firearm during a crime of violence in Indian Country following his conviction in the District of Arizona in case number CR-17-08223.

On July 17, 2024, a federal grand jury charged Tewanema with possession of a prohibited object. On December 4, 2024, after a two-day trial, a federal jury found Tewanema guilty of the charge.

While awaiting sentencing in the case described above, and while temporarily being housed at the Grady County Jail while in United States Marshals custody, court records show that on March 31, 2025, Tewanema stabbed a fellow inmate with another “shank.”

On April 16, 2025, a federal grand jury charged Tewanema with assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a prohibited object. On July 9, 2025, following another two-day trial, a federal jury found Tewanema guilty of both charges. The assault charge is in federal court because Tewanema is a member of the Navajo Nation and the crime occurred within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation.

At a sentencing hearing on December 18, 2025, Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti sentenced Tewanema to serve 132 months in federal prison, to run consecutive to his ongoing federal sentence.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Special Investigative Services and the Grady County Criminal Justice Authority. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany Edgmon and Jordan Ganz prosecuted both cases.

Reference is made to public filings for additional information.